Able KONE – The Original Chemex Reusable Stainless Steel Pour Over Coffee Filter

This filter is the BEST. Actually, it’s my second one, purchased for summer residence. I am so glad I found it offered for sale again, since the first was purchased several years ago, under a different brand name. But, thankfully, they are the same! We use it daily with a Chemex, for pour overs. It works well with or without a paper filter. It cleans up so well! I think it is of utmost importance to have a SINGLE LAYER. I can only imagine what gets trapped inside the layers of the two-layer filters. (I am constantly on the lookout for potential sources of mold, having taken years to get over a mold illness brought on by working in a water-damaged building.) To summarize, all these points are excellent: flow rate of pour (brew speed), ease of use, perfect fit with Chemex, overall design looks & feels beautiful, nice craftsmanship, no chance of mold growing between layers. If it cost more than some of the others, I don’t care! It is worth it.

Works great and is way better than using the paper filters that sometimes break and get coffee grinds in your cup. No off taste, filters great, and fits in my hario perfectly

You of course need to make sure your coffee grounds are not too fine. I am still trying to figure out what ground level will leave me no sediments.

This well-made stainless coffee filter is perfect for my needs. I bought it for coffee and tea leaves. It has a very fine mesh that is perfect for keeping all the grinds out of your cup. Washes up well.

So let me start off by saying, this thing is nicely made. Like smooth, polished material; none of the cheap feel you get from similar products. The surface is clean and smooth as a mirror, with the perforations barely being felt at all when you run your finger or them. I was impressed by all of this when I unboxed it.But that’s where the good qualities kinda stopped. I have a 40oz (8-cup) Chemex and the filter kinda just teetered around at the top of it. It’s hard to get a picture of but I tried to include one here. The filter just didn’t quite fit the chemex right. Upon use of it, the filter allowed fairly easy water flow into the bowl of the chemex with no noticeable clogging whatsoever, which is what I was looking for with this filter. But the downside is this rapid flow means it basically just let all the coffee into the bowl too. There was a heavy layer of grounds on the bottom of the bowl and that is not acceptable for me. I’ve never had that issue with the paper filters and can’t stand having to chew my coffee, therefore I returned this item to get a refund. Cleaning with relatively easy btw, knock grounds in trash, rinse filter, allow to dry. All very straight forward, just not for me. Two stars on the review mostly just because this thing is really that well made. It’s impressive. But then it’s not.

I had reservations about buying this because of some customer comments, but I'm very glad I didn't listen to them. I like it very much, and the flavor of the coffee is significantly improved. I was getting distressed at how expensive the Chemex paper filters have become--costs me $44 for a year's supply, which doesn't sound that bad, but when you compare it to this $60 filter that should last indefinitely....A few people have commented that too much babysitting is required. I was worried about that, but now that I've used it for a few weeks, I think the comment is unfounded. Do follow the instructions on how to brew that come in the box with the cone, as they work. Pour down the center throughout the process. I do it almost exactly the same way I did with the paper filters, and it works fine--as long as I don't get preoccupied with other things and forget to add water as needed. I don't end up with weak coffee. People's advice to grind the coffee finer than usual is good also. I now grind mine a good 12 seconds, as opposed to the previous 10 (this on advice from several years ago in *Cook's Illustrated*).Some reviews mention the difference in flavor. It really is quite pronounced. I had no idea how much "paper flavor" the paper filters were contributing, but I now realize it's significant. Plain old Sam's club French Roast almost tastes like Starbucks! Well, maybe not quite, but it certainly does help, and I can't wait to try some of the coffee that I usually buy for a treat around Christmas time.I was also a little worried about complaints concerning sediment. The sediment, I find, is negligible, and I've dealt with it simply by adding a little more water and then not pouring out the last half inch or so in the pot.The instructions on the filter say to clean it out right away after use because the holes might become plugged up. My husband and I both tend to walk off and leave it and forget. I have found, though, that using the sink sprayer clears the holes handsomely. Just hold the cone down next to the drain so it won't splatter too bad, and spray the inside, holding the sprayer close to the cone to maximize force. Works very well, so I do that now every time I clean it.The only drawback, in my experience, is cleaning it out. If anybody has any good, clean tips for disposal of coffee grounds besides getting them all over the inside of the trash bag in the wastebasket, I'd like to hear them!EDIT: May 4, 2015I am still very satisfied with this product. As someone suggested in a comment on my review, you can save the coffee grounds and use them to fertilize the lawn, so we do that. In addition, I found out through a fortuitous accident one day that the finer you grind it, the better the coffee tastes. I don't think I was grinding it fine enough for a long time. I have a small Mr. Coffee grinder, and it tastes the best for this filter if I grind it about 16 seconds. I actually use the very same process for pouring the water, etc., as I did for the paper filters, and it works fine. No additional babysitting. I'm glad I made the switch.